Rockies' Aaron Schunk: Clobbers first homer in win
Rotowire
Schunk went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk in Wednesday's win over the Marlins.
The 27-year-old walked in his first trip to the plate and advanced to second on an infield single from Charlie Blackmon, but the infielder would be left stranded after the next three batters went down in succession. Schunk came up big in his second at-bat, however, launching a 429-foot solo homer in the fifth to put the Rockies on top 3-2. He went on to reach three times in the contest while logging his third multi-hit performance of the campaign. It also marked Schunk's first long ball of the season, and he's now recorded an RBI in each of his last two starts.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: Picking up start Thursday
Rotowire
Schunk will start at third base and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Nationals.
The utility player will enter the lineup as a replacement at the hot corner for the lefty-hitting Ryan McMahon, who is getting the afternoon off while the Rockies face off against Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin. Since getting called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on June 28, Schunk has made just 13 starts and is slashing .174/.224/.239 over 49 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: Returns to utility role
Rotowire
Schunk is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.
Schunk had made starts on the left side of the infield over the past three games, going 2-for-11 with a double, a walk and a run. His first start came Sunday while Ezequiel Tovar sat out due to an illness, while Schunk filled in for Ryan McMahon at third base Monday and Tuesday while McMahon tended to a jammed finger. Both McMahon and Tovar are healthy again and part of the lineup Wednesday, so Schunk will move back into a utility role.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: First multi-hit game
Rotowire
Schunk went 2-for-5 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Monday's extra-innings win over the Red Sox.
Schunk has only started six of 19 games since being promoted for his big-league debut, and he's accrued just 23 plate appearances as a result. The initial return isn't promising, as he's hitting just .136 with a 34.8 percent strikeout rate, though the uneven playing time likely isn't helping him settle in. Schunk also managed the first multi-hit game of his career Monday.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: First career hit
Rotowire
Schunk went 1-for-3 Sunday against the Royals.
Schunk was in the lineup for only the third time since being recalled June 8. Two of his starts have come at third base and one at second. He took advantage of his opportunity Sunday by tallying his first big-league hit in the third inning, looping the ball into center field.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: Debuts as pinch hitter
Rotowire
Schunk went 0-for-1 on Saturday against the White Sox.
Schunk entered Saturday's game as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning to make his major-league debut. He had his contract selected Friday, though it's unclear how much playing time he'll receive with Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon locked in as starters at second base and third base, respectively.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: Contract selected by Colorado
Rotowire
The Rockies selected Schunk's contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.
Schunk posted an .811 OPS in his first taste of the Triple-A level in 2023 and has followed up with a .291/.339/.469 slash line through 69 contests this year. That production has come in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, so those numbers can't be taken at face value. Schunk will be making his big-league debut when he gets into a game, and he should see some playing time between second and third base while up with the Rockies, though those opportunities could be limited with both Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon currently healthy.
... See More... See Less
Rockies' Aaron Schunk: Taking advantage of PCL
Rotowire
Schunk is slashing .300/.354/.567 with six home runs and a 29.3 percent strikeout rate in 99 plate appearances for Triple-A Albuquerque.
A second-round pick in 2019, Schunk has split time between third base (his natural position) and second base for the Isotopes. He generated buzz a couple years ago after a strong debut in 2019 and positive reports from the alternate training site during the pandemic. This could be a post-hype breakout, but as a 25-year-old with an elevated strikeout rate playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Schunk offers several reasons to doubt whether he would have success against big-league pitching.
The Rockies added Schunk to their 60-man roster pool Monday.
A 2019 second-round pick, Schunk hasn't played above the rookie-ball level, so he won't be a serious candidate to elevate to the big-league roster in 2020. His entry into the 60-man pool will at least allow the Rockies to oversee his development at their alternate training site this summer following the cancellation of the minor-league season.
